Suitcase.



1. c. O'NEILL.

SUITCASE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15.1913. 1,15@,,057. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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Patented Aug. 17', 1915.

J. C. ONEILL.

SUITCASE.

APPLICATION FILEDIOCT. 15. l9l3.

JOSEPH C. ONEILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUITCASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1.7, 1915.

Application filed October 15, 1913. Serial No. 795,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn C. ONEILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new" and useful Improvements in Suitcases, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to an extensible or foldable dress suit case adapted for holding clothes without creasing the same. I

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient suit case or like device in which one or more suits of clothes may be placed in the case or device while in an extended position without any folding whatever and in a manner similar to hanging clothes in a closet or on a hook and in which the parts of the case with the clothes may be folded in such a way as will not crease the clothes or require them first to be folded before they can be placed in the case as is the usual practice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient dress suit case or like article in which large pieces of apparel as suits, dresses, or other garments, which ordinarily would have to be folded, may be placed and held within the case so that when in a compact condition ready for transportation, substantially no pressure is placed on the apparel, thereby avoiding any creasing whatever.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a simple and eflicient device which is adapted to hold various articles used by per sons when traveling from one place to another; to provide special means whereby very long articles may be held within the device; to provide a dress suit-case which has the general appearance of like devices as at present constructed; and to provide a simple and efiicient device which is inexpensive to manufacture and which is effective in use.

' A further object of the invention isto' provide a device of the character referred to'which may be supported from a hook so that when not in use it may be employed as whatever when the device is not being use for actually carrying the case or articles held therein. Y

- With these and other objects in view, the

invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and will then be pointed out in the claims. at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case or device in an extended .or unfolded position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale showing the device in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 except that the parts are shown in a folded or compact con-- member is held to the main member, and

further showing thecover or front member in an open position;

The main member 10 has a top 11, a rear side 12, and end pieces or sections 13. This main membermay be of the usualior of any preferred shape and may have the ends 13 smaller at the top than at the bottom thereof to adapt the device when folded together to be tapering from the bottom upward, as 5 shown best in Fig. 3. The rear side or member 12 of the main member has a bottom member 14 hinged thereto at one edge, as at 15, and to the bottonrmember is hin ed a front member or cover 16, as by the inges 17. The bottom member has end ormarginal walls 18 and the front member has marginal walls 19 and 20. The bottom member is adapted to be folded along the lower edge of the ends 13 of the main memher so that the marginal walls 18 will extend over the lower edges of the ends 13 of the main member and the front member caused to extend upward along the edges of the ends 13 entirely inclosing the case as shown best in Fig. 3 and making the same substantially box-like in fornn This bottom member is provided with eyes 21 on the side or marginal walls 18, and on the main member are hooks 22 which are adapted to engagethe' eyes 21 to lock the bottom securely and detachably at one edge to the ends 13 while the case is being used and so that the case may be employed in the ordinary way if preferred. One or more straps 23 may extend about the members of the device to hold the parts together-as usual, and in addition, the top 11 of the main member may be provided with a suitable carrying handle 24 and theremay also be provided looks or clasps of the usual character to hold the main and cover members together. By this means the members may be extended as shown to an open or unfolded position or the bottom may be held to the main memher and the case or device used in the ordinary way.

To properly supportvthe garments their full length, the case is ordinarily placed in an extended condition as shown in Figs. 1,

'2 and 4. The main member 10 may be reinforced internally by a wooden'or other frame of a more or less skeleton character and conforming generally to the interior formation of said main member. This frame has a top piece or part 25 extending transversely of the top at or near the ends thereof and connecting the transverse pieces 25 are two or more rods 26 from which may be suspend- .ed the hangers for the coat, trousers, or other garments. The frame has a vertical reinforcing piece 27 at the front edge thereof and on each end sectionis a vertically extending plate or part 28 forming a part of the frame at each of the ends 13, and connecting said plates 28 with the front strips or pieces 27 are plates or blocks 29, the said frame serving to effectually reinforce and strengthen the main member 10.

A groove 30 extends lengthwise of the frame sections28 and adapted to fit these grooves isa board, partition, or plate 31. A second groove 32 at substantially right angles .to the groove 30 is provided which extends lengthwise of the sections 29. In the groove 32 is a plate, partition, or board 33 which together with the plate or board 31 forms a detachable sectional tray within the main member 10 to adapt articles of various kinds to be placed therein and in such a way that they will be independently supported within the case when the latter is closed and without any pressure whatever upon the clothes. The clothes while being supported from the rods 26 are located within the space or chamber 34 between the rear side 23 and the tray partition member 31 and extend along the bottom member 14 and the front member 16 according to the length of the garments, the main, bottom and front members being adapted to lie in substantially the same plane when' in an open or extended condition.

The member 14 is reinforced along its edges by strips or sections 35 and the member 16 is reinforced along its edges by a substantially U-shaped skeleton frame 36. The frame 36 has end pieces 37 which are joined together by a piece or strip 38, and extending between the pieces or frame members 37 are one or more rods 39. The purpose of the rods 39 is to permit hangers or clothes clipsof any kind to engage the garments opposite the hangers supported from the tact with the clothes, though instead of the flaps 40*a board or partition may be provided similar to the partition-3l and arranged in grooves in the-members 37 of the frame or otherwise for the purpose of providing a space for the clothes under said board or partition.

It will be evident that when the clothes are positioned as already described so as to be supported freely 'by hangers or otherwise within the space 28 and so as to extend along the members 14 and 16 and the case folded, the garments will assume a substantially U- shaped form without any decided bend but just simply a fold and in this way a positive crease is prevented so that when the garments are removed they will be in substantially the same shape as when placed within the same. The case may be held in the position shown and may be hung upon a hook or otherwise supported either for the insertion of the clothes or garments or as a means to form a wall closet to hold the clothes, in which latter case a curtain may be supported on the casing and thus prevent dust and dirt from injuring or soiling the garments.

For womens dresses or like garments which may be longer than those worn by men because of the fact that the waist and skirt usually form-part of the same garment,

means is provided whereby an additional fold may be given to such garment without creasing the same. As one means, I provide a wire or substantially U-shaped frame 42. This frame has its ends bent outward, as at 43, to permit the same to be pivotally held in the skeleton reinforcing frame 36. hen

the frame 42 is in use it is thrown backward shape may be changed, and that instead of the tray being formed by two detachable partition plates or boards, an entirely independent tray may be provided for holding shirts or other articles. It will also be understood that. the device may have the parts hinged or held together in any desired way and that any of the usual or suitable materials may be employed in its construction.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple and efficient foldable or extensible dress suit case is provided; that the invention is applicable to dress suit cases and like devices of various forms or constructions; that garments may be held and supported within the device in such a way that they are not likely to be creased; that various articles may be arranged within the case without pressing upon the clothes to crease or. injure the same, and that said case or device is of such construction that it will cost little if any more to manufacture than the ordinary case and at the same time have substantially the same appearance as the ordinary suit case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An extensible suit case orlike article,

- comprising a main member having a top, a

side and end sections, a bottom member hinged to the main memberat one edge thereof, and a front member hinged to the bottom member and adapted to be moved into engagement and to be held to the main member, said main member having two partitions arranged substantially at right angles to each other, extending between the end sections, and spaced respectively from the side section and from the bottoms of the end sections, for the purpose specified.

2. An extensible suit case or like article, comprising a main member having a top, a side and end sections, a bottom member hinged to the main member at one edge thereof, and a front member hinged to the bottom member and adapted to be moved into engagement and to be held to the main member, said main member having two partitions arranged substantially at right angles to each other, extending between the end sections, and spaced respectively from the side section and from the bottoms of the end sections, one of said partitions extending substantially parallel to the side of the main member, for the purpose specified.

3. An extensible suit case or like article,

' comprising a main member having a top, a

side and end sections, a bottom member hinged to the main member at one edge thereof, and a front member hinged to the bottom member and adapted to be moved end sections, one of said partitions extending substantially parallel to theside'of the main member and having its lower edge spaced from the bottoms of said end sections, for the purpose specified.

- 4. An extensible suitcase or like article, comprising a main member having a top, a sideand end sections, a bottom member hinged to the main member at one edge thereof,'and a front member hinged to the bottom member and adapted to be moved into engagement and to be held to the main member, said main member having two partitions arranged substantially at right angles to each other, extending between the end sections, and spaced respectively from the side section and from the bottoms of the end sections, one of said partitions extending substantially parallel to the side of the main member and having its lower edge spaced from the bottoms of said end sections, the other partition terminating at one side at the first mentioned partition and at the other side spaced from the front edges of the end sections of said main member, for the purpose specified.

5. An extensible suit case or like article, comprising a main member having a top, a side and end sections,. a bottom member hinged to the main member at one edge thereof, and a front member hinged to the bottom member and adapted to be moved into engagement and to be held to the main member, reinforcing strips arranged on the inside of the end sections of the main member parallel to the rear and bottom edges thereof and spaced from said edges, said strips having grooves arranged on their inner faces and extending longitudinally thereof, and partitions removably mounted in said grooves for the purpose specified.

6. An extensible suit case having a main member, two members foldable thereupon, and a supplemental U-shaped frame pivoted within one of said foldable members.

7. An extensible suit case having a main member, a bottom member and a front member foldably hinged together, and a supplemental U-shaped frame hinged within the front member near its free edge.

This specification signed and witnessed this 13th day of October A. D. 1913.

JOSEPH O. ONEILL.

Witnesses EDWARD LEMBERGER, C. BARTELS. 

